Power wrench for making underwater pipe connections

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for making an underwater pipe connection including one or more power wrench means adapted to be universally or multidirectionally positioned for connecting, exemplarily, a pipeline to a wellhead. The apparatus includes a pair of such wrench means for transporting and positioning a spacer pipe between a wellhead and the end of a pipe or fluid flow line spaced therefrom and cooperable with rotatable coupling means carried on opposite ends of such a spacer pipe and cooperable with a fixed connector fitting on such a wellhead and on the end of the pipe flow line. Specifically, a power wrench for use with a connector means including a rotatable externally gear toothed collar such as may be used in the oil drilling industry for connecting or coupling a pipe to a connector fitting wellhead. The power wrench has a movable pivotal jaw-like member cooperable with a rotatably mounted worm gear for holding and positioning the worm gear in driving engagement with the collar.

Unite States atent Walker [72] Inventor: Raymond W. Walker, Huntington Beach,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Deep Oil Technology, Inc., Long Beach,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 99,031

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 779,004, Nov. 26, 1968, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl ..81/57.13, 81/57.46, 81/5725 [51] Int. Cl ..B25b 17/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..81/58.2, 57.2, 57.19, 57.15, 8l/57.29, 57.33, 57.34, 90.3, 57.46

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,518,398 8/1950 Stone ..81/57.l9 2,787,180 4/1957 Fish....

3,668,949 June 13, 1972 ABSTRACT An apparatus for making an underwater pipe connection including one or more power wrench means adapted to be universally or multidirectionally positioned for connecting, exemplarily, a pipeline to a wellhead. The apparatus includes a pair of such wrench means for transporting and positioning a spacer pipe between a wellhead and the end of a pipe or fluid flow line spaced therefrom and cooperable with rotatable coupling means carried on opposite ends of such a spacer pipe and cooperable with a fixed connector fitting on such a wellhead and on the end of the pipe flow line. Specifically, a power wrench for use with a connector means including a rotatable externally gear toothed collar such as may be used in the oil drilling industry for connecting or coupling a pipe to a connector fitting wellhead. The power wrench has a movable pivotal jaw-like member cooperable with a rotatably mounted worm gear for holding and positioning the worm gear in driving engagement with the collar.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJun 13 I972 SHEET 10F 2 3 NW m M 4 /m AWW M 0 1 u,

POWER WRENCH FOR MAKING UNDERWATER PIPE CONNECTIONS This application is a division of application Ser. No. 779,004 filed Nov. 26, 1968 and now Pat. No. 3,593,408.

Prior proposed wrench means for tightening couplings, collars, or other nut-like constructions involving joining and securing component parts of an assembly have included manually operated wrenches and power-driven wrenches. Such power-driven wrenches usually were adapted for turning nut members when an axial approach to the nut member was permissible. Power tongs used to tighten pipe string connections were disposed laterally of the drilling string and included gear driven members frictionally engaging the smooth cylindrical surfaceof the pipe. Such power tongs were relatively complex in structure and required a fixed stabilizing or anchor means to prevent rotation of the tong about the pipe string.

In prior proposed connections between pipe ends, flanged and clamp type fittings have been employed. However, while such fittings can be made in a deep water subsurface connection between an'offshore subsea wellhead and a production pipeline extending along an ocean floor, such deep water environment renders difficult any manually made connection and even making a flanged fitting connection with existing power equipment becomes time-consuming, awkward and very costly. Prior proposed power tong constructions were not suitable for operation close to a wellhead for making a pipe connection adjacent to the wellhead surface.

To overcome the disadvantages of such prior types of connections, a new type of wellhead pipe connector means has been conceived and is described and claimed in my copending patent application filed concurrently herewith. Generally this connector means comprises an externally threaded pipe end portion and an internally threaded collar for slidably and threadedly receiving the pipe end portion; the collar being constrained against axial movement by suitable supporting wellhead means and has a collar portion including external gear teeth for engagement with a worm so asto rotate the collar and thereby axially advance or retract the pipe with respect to the wellhead opening with which the pipe is to be connected.

While the above-described wellhead pipe connector means has been found to overcome many of the disadvantages of prior proposed connectors, the submerged water environment also gave riseto the need for a suitable underwater poweroperated tool useable with such connector means as by a diver manually or remotely handling the power wrench from a diving shell, or by remote actuation through robot means.

It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a novel power wrench means adapted for making pipe connections under conditions where remote control of the wrench means is desirable as a subsea environment.

Another object of the present invention is to disclose and provide a power-operated wrench means which may be readily removably positioned in driving engagement with a rotatable member such as a collar or a nut-like element.

A further object of the present invention is to disclose and provide a power-actuated wrench means adapted to cooperably engage external threads on a rotatable member for rotating said member.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a power wrench of the above-described type which is easily manipulatable in a submerged water environment and may be entirely remotely operated.

One more object of the present invention is to provide a power wrench which is simple in construction and operation and therefore adapted for underwater use.

Generally stated, a construction embodying the present invention comprises a power wrench for use with a connector including a rotatable external gear toothed member, the wrench including a stationary jaw, a pivotal jaw, piston and cylinder means for opening and closing the pivotal jaw, a worm member rotatably supported within one of the jaws for engaging the gear toothed member when received between the jaws, and means for rotating the worm member so as to rotate the gear toothed member.

- The invention also contemplates an apparatus and method wherein a wellhead and a pipe to be connected thereto may be provided with fixed coupling or connector receptor means, each cooperable with a rotatable member to be driven by one of the spaced power wrench means whereby a spacer pipe transported and positioned by a pair of said wrench means may be first coupled to the end of the pipeline and then coupled to the wellhead fitting. The apparatus of the invention contemplates that the pair of wrench means may be moved along the x, y, and z axes for multidirectional positioning of the wrench means and to precisely measure the distance between the wellhead fitting and the pipeline fitting so that said wrench means may function as a template means for determining the length of the spacer or jumper pipe required to make the connection and also relative positions of jumper pipe end fittings with respect to each other.

Advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the appended drawings in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wellhead including a wellhead pipe connector means and an exemplary power wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the power wrench;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the power wrench taken along a vertical longitudinal plane III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along vertical plane IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a subsea diving bell and a portion of a wellhead and a production line to be connected thereto, the diving bell having mounted thereon power wrench means of this invention and illustrating transport, measuring, and positioning featuresof this apparatus; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in a vertical plane bisecting the axis of the pipeline and wellhead fitting to further show a method of making a pipe connection.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a wellhead 20 including a wellhead pipe connector indicated generally at 21. The wellhead pipe connector 21 may include a wall 22 laterally spaced from wellhead 20 and supported by arms 23, 24. Wall 22 may be provided with a U-shaped opening for receiving a rotatable collar 25 having an internally threaded end portion for receiving an externally threaded cylindrical member secured to the end of pipe 26. The rearward end portion of collar 25 is provided with external gear teeth 27 for engagement with a power wrench embodying this invention for connecting pipe 26 to wellhead 20. A more detailed description of such a wellhead pipe connector means may be found in my US. Pat. No. 3,502,354.

While a power-actuated wrench means embodying my present invention is described with reference to the aforesaid connector means, it will be understood that such connector means is used as a convenient example and that the power wrench means of this invention may be employed with connector or coupling means in which the wrench means may approach, engage, and disengage a coupling, collar, or nut from a lateral or non-axial pipe direction.

An exemplary tool or power wrench, comprising the subject of the present invention, is generally indicated at 30. Power wrench 30 comprises a body member 31 having a flange 32 for mounting the power wrench to an arm 33 which may be connected to a diving bell or other underwater vessel. Body member 31 supports a stationary extension or jaw 34 having a generally semi-circular downwardly facing recess or cut-out portion 35. A complementary movable jaw 36 is pivotally mounted on body 31 through a pivot pin 37 and includes an opposed complementary generally semi-circular recess or cutout portion 38.

A hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 39 is pivotally supported beneath body member 31 through a pivot pin 40. An actuating piston rod 41 extends from the hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 39 and is pivotally connected to one end of jaw 36 through a pin 42 at a location spaced below the jaw pivot pin 37. Hydraulic lines 43, 44 are connected to double acting hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 39 for selectively reciprocating the piston so as to open and close jaw 36 and are connected at the other end to a pressurized hydraulic source located in, for example, the diving bell or a surface vessel. It will, of course, be understood that the jaw actuating means may be pneumatically powered or may comprise a suitable mechanical actuating device.

As seen best in FIG. 3, the fixed jaw 34 supports a rotatable shaft 45 journaled in bearings 46, 47, the shaft carrying a worm member 48. A portion of worm member 48 extends into and traverses along a chord of the semi-circular opening defined by the recess 35 of the stationary jaw 34. When the jaws are closed, as shown in FIG. 3, wonn member 48 is in threaded engagement with external nut 27.

Power wrench 30 also includes means for rotating the worm member which may comprise a hydraulic motor 49 mounted on body 31. For this purpose body member 31 may include an upwardly opening motor receiving space provided between flange 32 and an upstanding flange 34a from which projects stationary extension jaw 34. Suitable stud bolts may secure motor 49 to flange 34a. Motor 49 is provided with hydraulic lines 50, 51 connected to a pressurized hydraulic source located, for example, in a diving bell.

In operation, when pipe 26 and collar 25 are properly positioned for connection to wellhead 20, power wrench 30 may be laterally positioned with respect to pipe 26 with jaw member 36 in retracted or down position so that arm 33 and power wrench 30 may be laterally advanced to position the stationary extension jaw 34 above and over the external gear teeth on the collar 25. The stationary jaw 34 may then be lowered so that the threads of worm member 48 are in meshed engagement with the gear teeth on collar 25. Upon such engagement the movable jaw 36 may be pivotally swung beneath the pipe 26 and then upwardly into its fully closed position. In such closed position the recesses 35 and 38 substantially encircle threaded collar portion 27 with sufficient tolerance there-between so that collar 25 may rotate within the wrench opening. Actuation of fluid motor 49 rotates worm member 48 to turn collar 25 and to provide a tight sealed connection to the wellhead element as described in my copending application. Fluid motor 49 may turn worm member in either direction so that the collar 25 may be tightened or loosened.

When it is desired to remove power wrench 30 from collar 25 the hydraulic cylinder means 39 may be actuated in the opposite direction to draw movable jaw 36 downwardly and rearwardly about its pivotal connection 37. Upon opening jaw 36 the power wrench 30 may be simply removed by lifting upwardly and then moving the wrench laterally from the pipe 26.

It should be noted that in such pivotal movement of jaw 36 the fluid cylinder means 39 readily adjusts itself to various positions of jaw 36 because of its pivotal connections at 42 and at 40. The fluid motor 49 and cylinder means 38 are mounted on the power wrench above one another and quite closely to the jaw members. Thus, when the power wrench is engaged with the pipe the moment arm produced by the fluid cylinder means and the fluid motor means is relatively short and the turning moment of the power wrench about a pipe 26 is reduced and support of the power wrench in a substantially horizontal position as shown may be readily provided.

It should also be noted that the projected longitudinal axis of support arm 33 passes slightly above the pivotal axis of movable jaw 36 and that such pivotal axis lies parallel to and in approximately the same plane as the axis of the circular opening formed by recesses 33 and 38. Thus, maneuverability of the power wrench by remote or robot means is facilitated with respect to properly aligning and positioning the stationary extension jaw 34 with respect to a collar. Since the worm member 48 is substantially enclosed by the stationary jaw extension except for the portion which traverses recess 35, it will be readily apparent that collection of foreign particles or foreign matter in the worm member is reduced to a minimum and possible jamming of the gear is thus avoided.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is illustrated an underwater diving bell 60 equipped with a pair of power wrench means 30 embodying the construction described above. The diving bell, generally indicated, may be raised and lowered to selected depths by a cable 61 and may be guided in its diving path by suitable guide cables 62 at opposite ends of the diving shell 63.

The diving shell 63 may be supported on a suitable frame means 64 provided with a pair of spaced upstanding columns 65 interconnected at their top ends by a horizontal member 66 and at their bottom ends by frame 64. Columns 65 provide a slidable mount for vertically movable heads 67 which are interconnected by a pair of spaced rails 68 upon which may be slidably mounted laterally movable crossheads 69 each carrying forwardly projecting extendible and retractable arms 70 carrying wrench means 30. Crossheads 69 may be independently driven by suitable means (not shown) and may be moved towards and away from each other. The vertical heads 67 are movable by suitable drive means (not shown) in a vertical direction.

In this example the power wrench means 30 are supported by telescopically arranged extendible and retractable hydraulically operated arm means 70 so that the wrench means 30 may be moved toward and away from the diving shell 63. The pair of spaced power wrenches 30 may support and carry a spacer or jumper pipe section 72 between their stationary jaws 34 and movable jaws 36. Each end of jumper pipe 72 may carry a rotatable member or collar 25 with external gear teeth thereon in meshed engagement with worm 48 of the wrench means 30.

The pipeline 73 which ends in spaced relation to wellhead 20 is provided with a fixed stationary fitting or pipe connector 21, said connector being welded as at 74 to the pipe 73. The wellhead connector 21 is of essentially the same construction as the pipeline connector, and each includes a wall 22 spaced from a base wall 20 by longitudinally extending arms 23 and 24. Wall 22 is provided with a U-shaped opening 75 for receiving a neck portion 76 of collar 25.

In operation pipeline 73 is laid with its end in spaced relation to a selected wellhead 20 and in substantial alignment with pipe connector means 21 provided on wellhead 20. The space between the end of pipe 73 and the wellhead must be detemtined to interconnect pipe 73 and wellhead 20. For this purpose apparatus 60 with the universally movable spaced wrench means 30 may be lowered without a jumper pipe 72 thereon so that the wrench means 30 may be interposed between outer faces 77 of walls 22 on the pipeline connector and wellhead connector. The wrench means 30 may then be moved apart until the surfaces 77 of said walls are contacted. The spacing of the connector fittings on the wellhead and the end of pipe 73 are thus measured and determined. The diving shell 60 is then raised to the surface and lifted on to the deck of the vessel carrying the diving bell. A jumper pipe 72 may then be accurately cut and measured to length because the distances between the outer faces 77 and 77 and the wall surfaces 78 and 78 are known from prior construction and measurement of connector means 21. Jumper pipe 72 may be fitted with external threads at opposite ends and rotatable collar 25 in threaded engagement with the threaded pipe ends. The jaw means 34 and 36 of each wrench means 30 may be opened and placed in operative engagement with the external gear teeth of collars 25. Spacing between the arms 70 is not changed during this procedure.

Jumper pipe 72 positioned and held by jaws 30 may then be lowered by the diving shell 63 until the rotatable collar means 25 are received within the U-shaped openings 75 of the spaced connector means 21. The wrench means 30 adjacent to pipeline 73 may then be operably driven so as to rotate collar 25 to move the spacer pipe into tight, sealed relation with the end of the pipe 73, the resilient seal therebetween being placed under suitable sealing pressure. After making the connection to pipe 73, the opposite end of jumper pipe 72 may be connectedin similar manner to the wellhead connector means 21 of the wellhead 20. After both pipe connections have been completed, the movable jaws 36 may be released and the wrench means 30 withdrawn and the diving shell and power wrench means returned to the surface.

It will thus be apparent that the power wrench means 30 of the present invention together with the wellhead connector means 21 as described in my copending application Ser. No. 742,435 provide an effective system and method for facilitating the making of pipe connections under water by mechanical power means and without the necessity of manual operations by a diver.

From the above description it will be apparent that the exemplary power wrench provides a suitable tool for use in making a connection with a wellhead pipe connection and which requires little adjustment and initial positioning so that the pipe connection may be performed from a remote location as is often desirable in subsea well operations. It will be understood that the power wrench of this invention may be readily adapted for use with other rotatable members provided with external gear teeth which can be readily engaged by a worm-type power wrench device as above described.

It will be obvious that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that means other than the hydraulic motor may be used for rotating the worm member. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

lclaim:

l. A power wrench for use with a connector means including a rotatable means having external gear teeth, comprising:

a body;

a stationary jaw fixedly supported on said body;

a pivotal jaw supported by said body;

means for pivotally actuating said pivotal jaw so as to open and close said jaws;

a worm member rotatably supported within said stationary jaw for engaging the external gear teeth when the rotatable means is received between said jaws; and

means for rotating said worm member.

2. The power wrench of claim 1 wherein said means for pivotally actuating said jaw comprises a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly including a pressurized hydraulic source,

means for selectively actuating said hydraulic piston, and

a rod mounted on the piston and pivotally secured at one end to said pivotal jaw at a location spaced from the pivotal axis of said pivotal jaw.

3. The power wrench of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said worm member comprises a hydraulic motor.

4. A power wrench means adapted to be readily removable positionable in driving engagement with a rotatable member of a connector means for a pipe or the like, comprising in combination:

a wrench body member having a stationary portion with means defining an opening adapted to partially receive a rotatable member;

means including a worm member on said stationary portion and extending across a portion of said opening means for driving engagement with said rotatable member for rotation thereof;

movable wrench positioning means pivotally carried by said body member, spaced from said driving means, and laterally movable into and between a driving wrench position to partially close said opening means and a wrench disengagement position;

means for actuating the movable means; and

means for driving the drivin means. I I 5. A wrench means as state in claim 4 wherein said movable wrench positioning means includes a jaw member having recess means cooperable with said opening means and driving means for positioning and holding said wrench means in operative engagement with the rotatable member.

6. A wrench means as stated in claim 5 including fluid pressure cylinder means carried by said body member and connected to said movable wrench positioning member for actuation thereof into driving wrench position and wrench release position.

7. A power wrench means adapted to be readily removably positionable in driving engagement with a rotatable member of a connector means for a pipe or the like, comprising in combination:

a wrench body member;

means on said body member for driving engagement with said rotatable member for rotation thereof;

movable wrench positioning means carried by said body member, spaced from said driving means, and laterally movable into and between a driving wrench position and a wrench disengagement position;

means for actuating the movable means;

means for driving the driving means; and

said driving means including a stationary member projecting from said body member and having a recess to partially receive the rotatable member to be driven, and

a worm member traversing a portion of said recess for threaded engagement with external gear teeth on said rotatable member.

8. A power wrench for use with a connector means including a rotatable means having external gear teeth, comprising:

an elongated body means having an axis;

a stationary jaw means supported adjacent one end of said body means and having an opening facing laterally of said axis;

a pivotal jaw means supported from said stationary jaw means;

means for pivotally actuating said pivotal jaw means to move said pivotal jaw means into cooperable and release positions with respect to said opening in said stationary jaw means;

a worm member rotatably supported within said stationary jaw means for engaging the external gear teeth when the rotatable means is received between said jaw means; and

means for rotating said worm member. 

1. A power wrench for use with a connector means including a rotatable means having external gear teeth, comprising: a body; a stationary jaw fixedly supported on said body; a pivotal jaw supported by said body; means for pivotally actuating said pivotal jaw so as to open and close said jaws; a worm member rotatably supported within said stationary jaw for engaging the external gear teeth when the rotatable means is received between said jaws; and means for rotating said worm member.
 2. The power wrench of claim 1 wherein said means for pivotally actuating said jaw comprises a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly including a pressurized hydraulic source, means for selectively actuating said hydraulic piston, and a rod mounted on the piston and pivotally secured at one end to said pivotal jaw at a location spaced from the pivotal axis of said pivotal jaw.
 3. The power wrench of claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said worm member comprises a hydraulic motor.
 4. A power wrench means adapted to be readily removable positionable in driving engagement with a rotatable member of a connector means for a pipe or the like, comprising in combination: a wrench body member having a stationary portion with means defining an opening adapted to partially receive a rotatable member; means including a worm member on said stationary portion and extending across a portion of said opening means for driving engagement with said rotatable member for rotation thereof; movable wrench positioning means pivotally carried by said body member, spaced from said driving means, and laterally movable into and between a driving wrench position to partially close said opening means and a wrench disengagement position; means for actuating the movable means; and means for driving the driving means.
 5. A wrench means as stated in claim 4 wherein said movable wrench positioning means includes a jaw member having recess means cooperable with said opening means and driving means for positioning and holding said wrench means in operative engagement with the rotatable member.
 6. A wrench means as stated in claim 5 including fluid pressure cylinder means carried by said body member and connected to said movable wrench positioning member for actuation thereof into driving wrench position and wrench release position.
 7. A power wrench means adapted to be readily removably positionable in driving engagement with a rotatable member of a connector means for a pipe or the like, comprising in combination: a wrench body member; means on said body member for driving engagement with said rotatable member for rotation thereof; movable wrench positioning means carried by said body member, spaced from said driving means, and laterally movable into and between a driving wrench position and a wrench disengagement position; means for actuating the movable means; means for driving the driving means; and said driving means including a stationary member projecting from said body member and having a recess to partially receive the rotatable member to be driven, and a worm member traversing a portion of said recess for threaded engagement with external gear teeth on said rotatable member.
 8. A power wrench for use with a connector means including a rotatable means having external gear teeth, comprising: an elongated body means having an axis; a stationary jaw means supported adjacent one end of said body means and having an opening facing laterally of said axis; a pivotal jaw means supported from said stationary jaw means; means for pivotally actuating said pivotal jaw means to move said pivotal jaw means into cooperable and release positions with respect to said opening in said stationary jaw means; a worm member rotatably supported within said stationary jaw means for engaging the externaL gear teeth when the rotatable means is received between said jaw means; and means for rotating said worm member. 